Generational Differences: Millennial Moms Want to Be Friends, Gen Xers Want to Be Boss

8/1/13

At first glance, all moms share similar values. They want what is best for their children and to create lasting memories for them. Moms make sacrifices for their children and consider them more important than anyone else.

Yet, a difference of a few years in age translates to some striking disparities in how women raise their children and how they feel about themselves.

Generational Clash

Millennial moms, for instance, are more likely than Gen Xer moms to feel they have lost their identities (30% vs. 10%) and time for themselves after having children (72% vs. 47%), according to DDB Worldwide. Younger moms are also more likely than older ones to say they would lose their mind if they had to stay home with their children all day (28% vs. 23%). Millennial moms are nearly twice as likely as Gen Xer moms to say parenthood is a real burden (15% vs. 8%).

Millennial moms are more likely than Gen Xer moms to wish they had waited until they were older to have children (32% vs. 13%) and to think of themselves more as parents than as wives (69% vs. 50%).

Both groups agree that time away from their children makes them better parents (53% for millennial, 51% for Gen Xer). Each (82%) focuses more on their families than on themselves.

Parenting Styles

Although both millennial (46%) and Gen Xer (41%) moms say they don’t want their children to be raised the way they were, they still approach rearing differently. Millennial moms are more likely than Gen Xer moms to do whatever it takes to make sure their children receive preferential treatment (49% vs. 32%) and to describe their parenting style as wanting their children to think of them as friends (30% vs. 25%). Millennials moms are also more likely than Gen Xer moms to teach their children that they are better than other children (21% vs. 16%).

Meanwhile, Gen Xer moms are more likely than millennial moms to want their children to see their parenting style as “adult in charge” (75% vs. 70%) and to teach their children that they are no better than anyone else (84% vs. 79%).

More than six in 10 millennial moms are helicopter parents (61%), saying that, when their kids encounter problems with friends or at school, they usually get involved to resolve the issue, compared to 39% of Gen Xer moms who do the same. By contrast, 61% of Gen Xer moms prefer to let their own children resolve their issues, compared to 39% of millennial moms.

Millennial moms and Gen Xer moms are in agreement over a few parenting beliefs: Millennial (81%) and Gen Xer (80%) moms think it’s better to let their children fail once in a while so they will learn how to handle problems on their own. Millennial (64%) and Gen Xer (63%) moms are also happy to have their kids live at home for as long as they like, even after college.

Mixed Messages?

These mothers offer some contradictory beliefs. Gen Xer moms, for instance, are more likely than millennial moms to say raising children brings them a lot of happiness (88% vs. 83%). Yet, Gen Xer moms are also more likely to look forward to their children leaving the nest (37% vs. 27%).

Likewise, millennial moms are more likely than Gen Xer moms to say their children are more important to them than anyone else (97% vs. 86%), but they also put themselves ahead of their children (18% vs. 11%).

Social Media Mavens

Today’s moms overall are wired and highly connected. Nearly half (46%) have more than 50 Pinterest connections, 36% have more than 250 Facebook friends, and 27% have more than 100 Twitter followers, according to BabyCenter. Posts from a friend are 16% more influential than posts from a brand. Posts from another mom are 55% more influential than posts from a brand.

The brands moms ages 18-34 are most exposed to on Facebook are Amazon.com, Starbucks, Target, Kohl’s, Walmart, Victoria’s Secret, Macy’s, Samsung, and the Twilight movie franchise.

Moms are more likely than Americans overall to own a variety of digital devices, including smartphones, tablets, laptops, and gaming consoles, according to BabyCenter. Moms are more active in social media than members of the general population. More than eight in 10 moms ages 18-34 (84%) are on Facebook, compared with 73% of adults overall. Moms spend 7.3 hours per month on the site, compared with 5.9 hours among adults overall. Moms are 65% more likely than other adults to have streaming TV subscriptions and 30% more likely to own a tablet.

More than two-thirds of moms (68%) feel they have less in common with their friends who aren’t moms than they once did. Moms use social media to stay connected and get support from other parents. More than seven in 10 (73%) get brand and product recommendations from parenting-related social media.

Moms rely on social media for more than just brand recommendations. Almost one in two (45%) say they are communicating more through social media and emailing less often, and 61% say social media helps them get information faster.

Moms are plugged in from the moment they wake up. They are 47% more likely than other adults to look at Facebook (57% vs. 39%), text messages (48% vs. 31%), and parenting communities (12% vs. 3%) as soon as they get up. The only tool other adults look at more than moms is email (85% vs. 78%).

Moms use social media sites for different purposes, reports BabyCenter. Facebook is primarily for socializing, Twitter is for sharing family milestones and photos, while Pinterest is most often used for sharing video and photos. Similarly, moms turn to Facebook to receive support from others in similar situations and for product recommendations. Twitter is also viewed as a great tool for product recommendations, and parenting websites are used for health or medical advice.

Moms are more likely than the general adult population to purchase apparel (22%), mobile phones (51%), home and garden supplies (9%), and photo printing supplies (51%).

SOURCES: BabyCenter, Mike Fogarty, SVP, Global Group Publisher, 163 Freelon St., San Francisco, CA 94107; 415-537-0900; solutions@babycenter.com; www.babycenter.com.

DDB Worldwide Communications Group, Elena Weinstein, 437 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10022; 212-415-2191; elena.weinstein@ddb.com; www.ddb.com.

© 2013 Business Valuation Resources, LLC (BVR). May not be reproduced without written consent of publisher.

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